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The Line Drive for October 1
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Carmelo Anthony won’t improve the Thunder according to NBA 2K18.
♦Look for reviews of both FIFA 18 and Forza Motorsport 7 this coming week.
♦Review of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018: Still a champion on the pitch.
♦AC Milan has signed the latest exclusive marketing partnership with PES 2018.
♦2K Sports has provided printable NBA 2K18 covers w/ Kyrie Irving on Celtics.
♦Get MyTeam and MyPlayer bonuses with NikeConnect app and new jerseys.
♦NBA Playgrounds is 50% off for PC through Steam making the game just $10.
♦Madden NFL 18 can currently be purchased for $45 PS4/XB1 through Amazon.
♦Details on the Autumn Update with new content out now for Rocket League.
♦Details on the latest gameplay tuning changes pushed out for NHL 18.
♦EA Sports laid out the improvements made to Pro Clubs for FIFA 18.
♦The Golf Club 2 received a new patch on PC that will also be coming to PS4/XB1.
♦Details on the latest content added to Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 17.
♦List of games enhanced for Xbox One X has been updated with more sports titles. -
Press Row Podcast: Microtransaction Mania
2K Sports is facing criticism from all sides over the aggressive implementation of Virtual Currency within NBA 2K18. VC is nothing new to the popular basketball franchise however, so why has this become such a story now that mainstream gaming media, Youtube personalities, and consumers are all making their voices heard on the matter? We discuss the circumstances specific to the NBA 2K series that has allowed the situation to blow up, and the necessary pursuit of digital revenue for publishers, in this episode of the Press Row Podcast.
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Check out the podcast through iTunes for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. The show can also now be found on the recently launched Google Play Music for podcasts. Subscribe and review to help support the show! You can also listen with the streaming player below.
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Madden NFL 18 roster update details following week three of the season
The new roster update available to download now in Madden NFL 18 reflects performances through the first three weeks of the season. Rob Gronkowski has re-joined the 99 Overall club after moving up a point. He has 16 catches for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns. Aaron Donald is inching his way back to the top after dropping to 97 last week. He got one of the two points back in this update and now among a group of five players rated 98 in the game.
The Cowboys’ offensive line, considered by many to be the best in the league, continues to tumble especially for Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick who lost a combined 5 Overall points this week. They are down now 14 points in the last two weeks.
Notables on the rise in the update include Delanie Walker (+2 to 95), Landon Collins (+1 to 94), Cameron Jordan (+1 to 93), Russell Wilson (+1 to 89), Stefon Diggs (+1 to 88), Taylor Lewan (+2 to 87), DeMarcus Lawrence (+3 to 85), Todd Davis (+4 to 82), Kareem Hunt (+2 to 81), Garrett Bolles (+6 to 80), and Jake Elliott (+3 to 78).
Among the players to fall this week are Matt Ryan (-1 to 95), Travis Kelce (-1 to 94), Chris Harris Jr. (-1 to 93), Devin McCourty (-1 to 91), Ben Roethlisberger (-1 to 90), Ezekiel Elliott (-1 to 89), LeSean McCoy (-2 to 88), Eric Weddle (-2 to 88), Malcolm Butler (-3 to 87), Derek Carr (-2 to 87), Thomas Davis (-2 to 86), Tony Jefferson (-2 to 86), and Jimmy Graham (-3 to 85).
Check out full details on current ratings and any changes in this week’s update through the form on the official Madden NFL 18 website.
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Mutant Football League now available for PC through Steam Early Access
Mutant Football League has just released for PC through Steam Early Access in what essentially acts as a paid open beta period. The game is being sold for $25 as improvements and additions continue to be made leading up to its official release which will occur in approximately a month. Mutant Football League be coming to consoles in early 2018. Read more
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Sociable Soccer to enter PC Early Access stage in October
Independent developers have helped to bring back arcade-style games to various sports in recent years and now soccer is next in line to get a much-needed injection of arcade-style fun. The fast-paced game Sociable Soccer is the “spiritual successor” to the 1992 game Sensible Soccer from the same lead designer Jon Hare. Sociable Soccer has taken a path similar to some other indie sports games, first falling short on a crowdfunding campaign only to continue on with a more traditional development strategy. Read more
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Details on first major patch for NBA 2K18
The patch for NBA 2K18 that has just gone live on PlayStation 4 will be out on Xbox One today, while both PC and Nintendo Switch are being framed only as arriving “soon.” This update to 2K18 doesn’t address the major issue of MyPlayers that have vanished or change the way in which VC affects the game given the heavy backlash the game is receiving, but it does take care of one of the biggest in-game problems that had been widely reported.
It was discovered that the framerate would plummet following the first timeout making the game practically unplayable in online games. That now should be fixed. Responding to another common complaint, attribute ratings have been made visible when purchasing upgrades in MyCareer. Other areas affected include MyLeague/MyGM and the Playground which are joined by Nintendo Switch-specific technical fixes. Read more
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The uproar over VC in NBA 2K18 has now reached the mainstream
It took long enough to get to this place from a coverage standpoint, but NBA 2K is starting to be recognized as a real video game that sells eight million copies and generates hundreds of millions in digital revenue annually and not “just a sports game.” Major media websites and Youtube personalities with massive followings have jumped all over NBA 2K18 for its aggressive implementation of Virtual Currency and for the first time in recent memory publisher 2K Sports is taking fire from all directions. Read more
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The Line Drive for September 24
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Latest podcast discussed which is the game to get between NBA 2K18 & NBA Live 18.
♦This week’s Press Row Podcast on NBA 2K18/NBA Live 18 is also now on Youtube.
♦Two options to play FIFA 18 early available through EA Access trial and free demo.
♦EA Access subscribers get free exclusive kits for use in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team.
♦Complete list of leagues and teams that are found in FIFA 18.
♦Now fully revealed are the 100 rated players across the world in FIFA 18.
♦The FUT Web App has launched in advance of release for FIFA 18.
♦Nike Statement uniforms have been added in the latest patch for NBA Live 18.
♦Many Youtube personalities w/massive audiences have opined on 2K18’s VC situation.
♦The NBA 2K18 mobile game has launched on iOS and is still premium sold for $8.
♦Recent update to NBA 2K18 attempted to fix issue with MyPlayers that wouldn’t dunk.
♦New jerseys with NikeConnect will offer some boosts for NBA 2K18 when scanned.
♦Details on the latest Diamond Dynasty content to roll out in MLB The Show 17.
♦Big Ant Studios officially announced Ashes Cricket with planned release in November.
♦Amazon has a $40 deal on physical copies of Madden NFL 18 for Xbox One.
♦Amazon has pre-orders for physical FIFA 18 copies but may not arrive on release date.
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